THE APPLICATION OF MICROBIOLOGICALLY ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY TO THE ALTON FIELD, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

Abstract

The Alton Field has produced 1.875 million stock tank barrels of oil and is nearing the end of its primary life. It is proposed to enhance the recovery from the field microbiologically. Surfactant producing bacteria will be injected into the reservoir in order to lower the oil/water interfacial tension and mobilise the remaining oil. Laboratory experiments on artifical cores have demonstrated the viability of this process. This MEOR project will initially be done in a one-well cyclic Huff and Puff program.